The aim of the research was to develop and apply improved measures of capital productivity using published airline data, and to evaluate the role of capital investment and productivity in overall airline performance. As well as contributing to total factor productivity, capital productivity is a partial measure, and the investment upon which it is based should improve the productivity of other inputs to the production process, in particular labour and fuel. Productivity ratios require outputs and inputs to be combined and indexed. Index numbers have been developed using weights that are consistent with the underlying economic theory, and also meet various tests (such as reversal and products). Airline passenger, cargo and incidentals were combined using a number of such index number approaches. Capital inputs were estimated using annual lease equivalents which when discounted to the present over the expected future economic lives of the assets resulted gave either balance sheet values adjusted to a common year’s prices, or the total of the market values of individual assets (aircraft).

No description available.

The intention of this booklet is to assist unionists, shop stewards and organisers with preparation for wage negotiations. It raises ideas on how to deal with the common arguments that are used by management. This booklet is not a complete guide to wage negotiations. It concentrates mainly on economic factors which form only one part of wage negotiations. The handbook is divided into two sections. Section One deals with: Information about ownership, control and structure of South African companies; How to read and understand the information in a company’s annual report. Section Two deals with wage-related issues and it includes: Inflation; Subsistence levels and other surveys; Wages and wage policy. The booklet concludes with a checklist of information needed by wage negotiators and ends with a glossary of terms and a reference list.

This study analyses the relationship between remuneration (real wage) and labour productivity in South Africa at the macroeconomic level, using time series and econometric techniques. The results depict that there is a significant evidence of a structural break in 1990. The break appears to have affected the employment level and subsequently fed through into employees' remuneration (real wage) and productivity. A long run cointegrating relationship was found between remuneration and labour productivity for the period 1990 to 2011. In the long run, 1% increase in labour productivity is linked with an approximately 1.98% rise in remuneration. The coefficient of the error correction term in the labour productivity is large, indicating a rapid adjustment of labour productivity to equilibrium. However, remuneration does not Granger cause labour productivity and vice versa. / Thesis (M.Com.(Statistics) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2014

The research explored ways for improving maintenance labour productivity and reducing maintenance costs. This can be achieved through reducing the number of maintenance activities and by improving the productivity of labour carrying out repair and maintenance tasks. The research established that Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) techniques, in particular, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) could be applied to building systems, in this case to the maintenance of Rainwater Goods to identify the most applicable and cost effective maintenance strategy. As a result it was found that while 60% of failure modes identified could be rectified by employing a Failure-Based Maintenance strategy, 40% of the failure modes require a Condition-Based Maintenance strategy which is not currently applied. Labour productivity is a subject of tremendous interest to research in the construction industry; the study found however, very little research on the productivity of labour in building repair and maintenance operations. It was found that measurement of building maintenance labour productivity has not been the focus of any previous studies. Indeed no measures of productivity for building maintenance were identified. Having considered a number of alternative measures, the research identified the productivity index expressed in terms of Estimated Hours/Actual hours to be the most appropriate measure of labour productivity in repair and maintenance operations. Using this measure, it was established that labour productivity is impacted by a number of variables including task performance, labour performance, material usage and seasonal variability. Among the objectives of the research was to identify the factors influencing labour productivity. Through a survey questionnaire, it was possible to identify the factors that have the greatest impact on maintenance labour productivity; these were the level of skills and motivation of workmen; quality of information and work instructions; labour turnover and absenteeism; availability of tools and material, and access to the job site. The analysis of historical repairs data from two building repair and maintenance organisations revealed that during the performance of the same tasks, one of the data sources was almost 25% more productive than the other. The research has established that there is a potential for improving labour productivity carrying out building repair and maintenance.

The first essay titled “Fundamental Sources of Long-run Labour Productivity Improvements in Canada” examines the importance of Research and Development activities, as well as the stock of public infrastructure, and economic openness as sources of growth in labour productivity in the Canadian economy within the last four decades. The second paper titled “R&D Spillovers, Innovation, and Entry” extends a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of R&D spillovers on entry and the resulting equilibrium market structure. It is shown that the degree of spillovers plays a fundamental role on the number of firms entering the market, their R&D activities, and social welfare. The third paper titled “The Search for New Drugs: A Theory of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry” uses a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities studies the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.

The first essay titled “Fundamental Sources of Long-run Labour Productivity Improvements in Canada” examines the importance of Research and Development activities, as well as the stock of public infrastructure, and economic openness as sources of growth in labour productivity in the Canadian economy within the last four decades. The second paper titled “R&D Spillovers, Innovation, and Entry” extends a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of R&D spillovers on entry and the resulting equilibrium market structure. It is shown that the degree of spillovers plays a fundamental role on the number of firms entering the market, their R&D activities, and social welfare. The third paper titled “The Search for New Drugs: A Theory of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry” uses a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities studies the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.

No description available.

Abstract not available. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.

The first essay titled “Fundamental Sources of Long-run Labour Productivity Improvements in Canada” examines the importance of Research and Development activities, as well as the stock of public infrastructure, and economic openness as sources of growth in labour productivity in the Canadian economy within the last four decades. The second paper titled “R&D Spillovers, Innovation, and Entry” extends a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of R&D spillovers on entry and the resulting equilibrium market structure. It is shown that the degree of spillovers plays a fundamental role on the number of firms entering the market, their R&D activities, and social welfare. The third paper titled “The Search for New Drugs: A Theory of R&D in the Pharmaceutical Industry” uses a dynamic model of optimal patent design and in the presence of information externalities studies the evolution of technological progress in the context of a pharmaceutical industry.